One thing I don't understand:
We talk here about modes with more players than 1v1. Shouldn't it be a huge advantage that 2 Players can go for T1 and 2 Players for T2 at the start of the game? Allowing combined arms?
I don't really see how that could be considered an advantage over anything that an Ostheer team could also choose to do. Ostheer doesn't need to coordinate between team members to have access to their combined arms. They have their all options readily available as they tech up (unless they choose to skip tiers for fast T2 or whatever).
A simple solution would be to reduce the cost of both starting Soviet structures, such that both could be made if desired, and increase the cost of the T3/T4 structures to compensate, thereby preventing faster T-70s/T-34s/whatever.
Maybe reduce the ridiculously long build times, too, but that would create more balance issues.
Soviet engineers need to work harder. Pioneers can dig their trench structures in no time
lol